Worcester police find pot plants after neighbor dispute

WORCESTER 
A neighbor dispute involving a threat of a hammer attack Wednesday night at 39 Vinton St. led police to the discovery of 31 marijuana plants growing in the basement.

A man told police when they arrived about 10:30 p.m. that noise coming from the apartment of a neighbor, Phuong Tran, sounded like Mr. Tran, 35, was destroying the entire building. Police noticed the glass was smashed out of the front door, and there was blood by the door.

“The neighbor stated that Phuong went after him with a hammer when he opened his own apartment door to see where the commotion was coming from,” according to a news release posted on the Police Department website. The neighbor said Mr. Tran fled after the alleged assault.

Police found out that there were children living in Mr. Tran's apartment. After police knocked several times on the broken door, a 14-year-old boy answered.

“When the door opened police observed a haze of smoke emitting from inside the apartment,” according to the release. When police asked if there was anyone else in the home, the boy replied that he has two brothers who were hiding, according to police.

Fearing for the welfare of the boys, the officers searched the premises.

Police saw blood on the walls and said the entire apartment was destroyed. They smelled something “of a chemical nature,” the news release said. Police found a large opened glass jar that contained marijuana. Officers went to the basement to look for the boys, and found a marijuana-growing facility. The basement appeared to be the origin of the strong chemical odor, according to police.

They eventually found the two boys, 10 and 13, hiding in a room on the second floor. The boys were not injured.

Police took the boys to a nearby relative's home. Because of the level of destruction of the dwelling and the presence of the marijuana-growing facility, officers reported the incident to the state Department of Children and Families.

Wrentham police apprehended Mr. Tran around 3:30 a.m. Thursday and took him back to Worcester.

Police charged him with three counts of domestic assault with a dangerous weapon (hammer), assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, distribution of marijuana and possession of marijuana with the intent to manufacture.

Mr. Tran was scheduled to be arraigned today in Worcester Central District Court.